Tag Archives: Martin Luther

An Open Letter To Grace

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Dear grace….

Where do I even begin, you are such a beautiful gift in my life. As a lifelong Lutheran, you have always been engrained in my very fiber and being. Martin Luther talked a lot about YOU! And this Bible verse from the book of Ephesians is a daily reminder of the gift you are “For it is by grace through faith that you have been saved, it is not your own doing but a gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Yes, my friend grace, you are indeed a gift. But what is it about you…that makes me so very thankful for your presence. You always find a way into my head and into my heart.

In the midst of mom’s illness, when I snap back quicker than I should, you tap me silently on the shoulder and tell me that next time I won’t react as quickly. When I beat myself up because the desires of my heart haven’t been met yet, you again look me in the eyes and show me that God does hear them. God will answer them in his time and not my own.

And then I open up the newspaper or turn on the radio and hear the horrific stories of violence and sinfulness…but even in those moments, I hear you whispering. “They are sinners in need of God’s grace.” “You are a sinner in need of God’s grace too!” We all are going to screw up and fall short of the glory of God. Yet you (grace) are sufficient. You will get us through those times. How many times do we sin and think that we are not worthy to be forgiven….yet you continually grasp us…a simple reminder of the power of God and God’s grace in our lives.

In the words of the well-known hymn “Amazing grace,” ‘you (grace) have’ taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved. How precious did YOU appear the hour I first believed.’ And you also (grace) have ‘ ‘brought me safe thus far and will lead me home.’

Oh grace! You fall like fresh dew and cover me; cover us in your promises…your promises that daily cover each of us. And as your promises cover us like a well-worn blanket; torn, battered, and beaten, you still provide us with comfort and embrace us in your loving arms. You call us to action; a reason to love and serve God more fully.

Grace is knowing that sometimes we are going to spill milk on the kitchen floor and going to have to clean it up. Grace is knowing that sometimes you are going to make the wrong choices, but there will always be that second chance. Grace is knowing, even in the midst of grief, that you are sufficient when nothing else seems like it is.  Grace is sharing my words even when I am trembling as I hit the publish button. Grace is knowing that you are always within my grasp; that you are always within each of our grasps.

And ultimately, my friend grace, you always change me; always change each of us! In the words of Anne Lamott, “I do not understand the mystery of grace—only that it meets us (me) where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”

I am linking up with Holly for Testimony Tuesday, Kelly for the RaRa Linkup, Jennifer for Tell His Story and Holley for Coffee for your Heart:

 

Linked Together

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The dirty dishes in the sink have finally been put away. The light in the kitchen is still on. The sounds of Cutthroat Kitchen are on in the background. And the residue from frying a little piece of steak is still stuck to my George Foreman grill. And it will sit there just a little longer as I spend a few moments in prayer as I write this post and pray for the family of dear Kara Tippetts.

Kara and I never met, yet I have felt our lives linked ever since I first read her blog Mundane Faithfulness. Kara was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and today she finally was welcomed into the arms of her dear Lord and Savior. Kara leaves behind her beloved husband Jason and their four children. Throughout her journey, Kara was so full of grace, authenticity, vulnerability and pure faith in God. (Her words continually reminded me of several dear friends of mine who are currently battling cancer and whose words speak the power of community and God’s love for all of us!)

Earlier this evening, I popped onto Twitter and saw a Tweet that shared that Kara had entered into her Lord’s arms today. As I read that Tweet, I found myself thinking about the chain links to a fence and how those links connect together to make the fence complete. At the churches I have served, whenever we have had a special milestone blessing (3rd graders receiving their Bible etc), I have tried to have the congregation stand and place their hand on the person next to them or in front of them to link back to the ones being blessed at the front of the congregation. My favorite piece is being at the advantage of seeing everyone linked together. It is a powerful witness…to look into each face and know that no matter what we are linked together as brothers and sisters in Christ. And that is what I am reminded of today as we know that Kara heard the words “well done good and faithful servant.”

As God’s beloved children, we are all linked together even though we may have never met in person. I think of how many times in this life I have been blessed by reading someone’s words or by talking to someone I have never talked to before. God has a way of linking us together in ways and places that we never imagined which is why we grieve those that we have never met yet feel like we have known forever.

Knowing that we are all links to the fence, my heart still breaks for Kara’s family and friends. How do you say goodbye to a dear friend or family member especially when it doesn’t seem fair and seems far to soon? How do you share how someone has blessed your life in more ways than you ever imagined?

What I do know is that it is not easy to say goodbye. Throughout my thirty six years on this earth, I have had to say goodbye to my maternal grandparents. I have said goodbye to one of my favorite high school teachers who saw gifts in me before I saw them in myself. I have said goodbye with friends as they have said goodbye to children they never got to even hold. Each of these goodbyes has not been easy, but the hardest for me was my high school best friend Mandy.

Mandy and I were inseperable growing up. She was just a few years older than me but had a kidney transplant which held her back in school. So we ended up in the same grade. As we graduated, we both went our seperate ways which eventually led me to seminary. Every one in awhile my phone would ring and Mandy would be on the other end. We would laugh like old times. During one of her calls, she asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I was honored that she asked and flew home from seminary to be a part of her special day. I will never forget that day…she was so happy! Not long after that wedding, a year or so, I got a phone call from Mandy’s mom letting me know that she had passed away. Sadly we had lost touch as our lives went in different directions, but my heart was still breaking. Mandy was my first “best friend.” I remember standing in the church office, tears streaming down my face as I listened to that voicemail.

Saying goodbye is indeed a part of life, but it is still so hard. There are days I wish I could shield us from the hurt but then I am reminded of the words we hear  Jesus say “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Jesus is with us through it all. Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried, but then, on the third day, Jesus rose. HOPE AND RESURRECTION! That is what it is all about. I am reminded of these words from one of my favorite Psalms. “Weeping may come for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”–Psalm 30:5

The weeping is fresh tonight especially for those who love Kara so much and so deeply, yet God promises that joy will come with the morning. And knowing that joy will come with the morning, I am reminded of the quote on Kara’s website from our dear Martin Luther: “What will you do in the mundane days of faithfulness?” So, honoring this beautiful soul and remembering how we are linked together like chain links to a fence, I ask you, my dear readers and friends, how will we live our days even in the ugliest darkest spaces? And what will YOU do in the mundane days of faithfulness?

Breaking Down the Walls of Fear

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Fear is a crazy feeling, isnt it? The Advent One texts reminded us of how often fear can get in the way of our lives. This past year has been no exception. Harold Camping predicted that the world would end and then when it didnt, he gave us a new date, and when that day came and went, we were all still here. “For we do not know the day nor the hour.” Yet so many people found themselves wondering, what if he’s right. I remember a story a colleague told about a woman who is living in fear because of what is predicted in 2012. The colleague asked what she would do differently with her life if they are right. Martin Luther always said, “He would simply plant a tree” meaning he would just go on with his life! Yet how many of us are guilty of letting fear get in the way of living our lives etc! A dear seminary friend has been battling cancer. The operation was successful but then they found that that nasty “c” word had spread to her lungs. 🙁 Ive been simply amazed at her words as she has posted on her carepages site. Yes, she has found herself struggling and wondering why but one thing Ive noticed is she is NOT letting fear get the best of her….she is clinging to the promises of God. What a great example she is! I think too often we let fear get the best of us. I am just as guilty as the next person. What if I never find my Mr. Right? What if I never get the opportunity to be a mother and have a family? What if…What if…What if….and because of those what ifs, I let fear play in and am afraid to try new things. I am reminded of one of my friend Ben’s alltime favorite movies, “The Wizard of Oz.” Dorothy, the lion, the scarecrow, and the tin man all had their own fears/obstacles to overcome. During this season of Advent, I find myself clinging to the promise of this precious one who is born in a stable in Bethlehem and later dies on a cross in Jerusalem for our sins. This precious one comes to show us that fear will not have the last word but rather that God will!

God’s Grace

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“God’s grace is sufficient for us all”

These words are ringing in my ears as I reflect on the importance of this holy meal. Communion has always been important to me. It reminds me again and again of who this Jesus is and that God’s grace is sufficient for us all. It is not the bread or wine itself that makes this meal special. Tonight during a first communion milestone class a parent wanted to know how their child is special because he know can take communion and how is he different because he takes communion and his siblings dont yet.Im really struggling with this because it isnt the child/participant that becomes special. Just because we take communion doesn’t mean we get magical powers like Harry Potter. In fact in Luther’s Small Catechism, it says, “Eating and drinking do not do it, but rather the words that are recorded “given for you” and “shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” So my dear readers and friends, I am asking for your responses to these questions; why is communion important to you? What makes communion special to YOU?

“God’s grace is suffient for us all”